Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to be more organized in your business? If you work with a lot of freelancers, outside contractors and vendors in addition to your in-house employees, you know that managing all of the deadlines, data and scheduling involved can get confusing. Project management software can help you get it all under control.

Basecamp and Zoho Projects are two project management tools I’ve used and like, but there are plenty of others out there to investigate as well. Begin by figuring out what you need from a project management tool and whether you want to replace, or simply augment, your existing systems. For example, do you need to schedule and assign tasks, then track completion? Do you need to collaborate on documents and projects online? Do you need to track employees’ or freelancers’ time and billable hours? There are tools that can do some or all of this.

As you research different project management tools, keep these factors in mind:

Size: How many people will be using the tool, including both in-house staff and outside contractors, vendors or clients? Choose something that can grow with your business, but isn’t too big or cumbersome for your current needs.

Ease of use: Some tools are very simple while others are more complex and allow for a greater level of detail. If a tool is too complex for you and your team to learn easily, you probably won’t use it—so be realistic.

Cost: Most project management tools are either free, offer free trials or have free versions with lesser options. Don’t assume you can get away with a free option, though—if you need more than the free tools provide, make room for it in your budget.

Security: Sharing company data can get risky, so make sure the project management tool you select has the controls you need for security, such as enabling you to set different levels of access or permission. You don’t want a client viewing sensitive internal documents by accident.

Of course, the most important step in making project management work is getting everyone trained on the tool and ensuring they actually use it. Don’t let people slip back to old ways or do a mish-mosh of old and new. Set an example by using the new tool yourself and getting everyone on board.